Yesterday and Today
by Let-The-Wookiee-Win
Summary: Han is now a General in the fledgling New Republic, Leia is now a Senator. Their relationship is just beginning to blossom, what could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

TODAY.

Han Solo was the closest he had ever felt to Heaven.

He was laid with his head resting in Leia Organa's lap, looking up at her smiling face.

They were on a grass bank, the sun shining down on them and a stream babbled close by.

Her hair was impossibly long, flowing down her entire body and forming a blanket beneath them.

The fingers of Leia's left hand tousled the hair at the nape of his neck.

She was speaking but he couldn't hear her words.

Or wasn't listening.

He was too busy thinking that this was what it was like being with the one you love.

And he wondered just what he had done to be so deserving of this level of fulfilment.

And just how it was that he had gotten to this place in his life.

And that was where the dream ended.

Han woke with a start, his neck stiff from sleeping with it twisted to one side.

Leia was indeed beside him. But not as she had been in his dream.

She was in a medical biobed, a bacta cage covering her torso treating the injuries she had received.

She was unconscious, a state induced by Luke in order to let her Jedi senses aid her recovery.

So that _he_ could aid her recovery Han corrected himself tersely and found himself again wondering just how it was that he had gotten to this place in his life.

Stupidity.

Pure and simple.

He had taken his eye off the ball.

And Leia was paying the price.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

_YESTERDAY_.

Han Solo smiled his cock-eyed smile.

"The thing is Leia, I'm a woman and you're a man." He said to his reflection.

His brow furrowed.

"No, I mean you're a man and I'm a woman."

He huffed, looked down into the pool of water in the basin beneath his hands and sighed. Okay, let's try that again.

"You see the thing is Leia, when a man loves a woman..." Han grimaced at himself. "No, that sounds like the kind of talk a father has with his son!"

Chewie grumbled a long sentence from somewhere down the ship.

"Yeah, well, that might work on lady Wookiees but trust me Leia would not be impressed!"

Han finished washing his hands, dried them and let the water run away.

He wore his best Military blues.

Leia liked him in blues.

She'd never said as much, but he'd caught her checking him out every time he wore them so he tended to do so whenever he knew they were going to be spending an evening alone.

And although they weren't going to be entirely on their own this evening, once dinner with Tycho Celchu and Winter was over and when he and Leia finally _were _alone Han planned on asking Leia to spend the night with him.

Things had been going pretty well for them recently. They'd found time to talk, to learn a little more about one another and to let their love grow. Or to start to at least.

"So, how do I look?" Han asked Chewbacca.

Chewie considered a moment then yarled a response.

"Yeah, like you'd know!" Han complained. "Okay, remember what I said. I don't want interrupting

even if the ship gets stolen by pirates and crashed into a nebula. Got it?"

Chewie growled something about Han going soft, then softened himself and told his friend not to make him regret the life debt he felt he owed. It was as close to a 'good luck' as a Wookiee got.

"Oh, and don't wait up." Han smiled and winked at Chewie.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

TODAY.

Han tried to unwrinkle the kink in his neck without success, leaned forward and took hold of Leia's hand. She felt cold, clammy.

This wasn't quite how he had imagined their first night together to be.

And he hoped with all of his heart that it wasn't also their last.

He half heard a door hiss open and was dimly aware of someone standing beside him.

Then Luke spoke. "You need some rest."

"I'm fine." Han answered, clearly far from fine.

"She needs you to be strong too, you know." Luke said, taking a seat beside Han.

"This is my fault Luke. I should have been looking after her." Han said.

"It's no one's fault Han. And certainly not yours." Luke replied. "Go get some rest. There's nothing you can do for her right now."

"I'm staying put." Han said, stubbornly.

Luke thought about trying to reason with him. Decided he would be wasting both his time and his breath and left.

Han sat and continued holding Leia's hand, trying to sense the life returning to her.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

_YESTERDAY_.

Han Solo slumped into a sofa, rested his head on it's soft cushions, closed his eyes and sighed.

"I thought they'd never leave!" He complained.

"I thought you liked Tycho." Leia said.

"I do." Han replied, lifting his head and looking at Leia. "It's her. She's so...so..."

"Difficult sometimes?" Leia finished for him, taking a seat opposite.

"Exactly!" He said.

"Hmm..." She smiled and tapped a manicured finger against her cheek. "Who does that remind me of I wonder?"

"No way Leia. We are totally different people her and me. I mean, did you hear all those digs she had at me through dinner?"

"You were rather rushing your food." Leia admonished.

"I wanted to spend time with you, not eat a fourteen course taster menu!" Han responded. "And that squidgy little green thing, who knew you were supposed to leave the head behind!"

"Han." Leia said, leaning forward.

"You know, where I come from you're lucky to have one knife and fork. How was I supposed to know which of the dozen or so pieces of cutlery I was supposed to use for the third entree!" He continued.

"Han." Leia repeated.

"Urgh, and that last thing. What was that? It tasted like one of Chewie's furballs!"

"Han!" Leia said, more sharply this time. "There's something we need to talk about."

Han patted the sofa beside him and said. "I'm all ears."

Leia paused a moment, then moved to sit beside him.

"The thing is..." She started.

"I think I know where this is going..." Han interrupted, sliding an arm across the back of the sofa, his fingertips resting on her shoulder. "And it's kind of funny really."

"Funny?" Leia queried.

"Not funny amusing, funny ironic. You see, I was thinking the same thing and well, I have to say, I think it's kind of liberated of you to bring the subject up."

"I don't think I follow." Leia said shaking her head.

Han gently moved closer to her, his arm sliding to wrap around her shoulders whilst his other hand softly caressed her cheek.

"You've been thinking about us." He said. "And you've been thinking that maybe it's time our relationship became more..." He paused, wanting to gauge her response as he said, "intimate."

However, her response wasn't quite what he had expected.

She looked at first bewildered then almost terrified, before pushing him away at the sound of the door sliding aside as Winter returned.

"Back so soon!" Han hissed, releasing Leia and sitting up straight.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Winter asked, observing Han's nervous state and Leia's apparent unease.

"No. No, of course not." Leia told her, rising and smoothing down her dress as she so often did when flustered. "Han and I were just talking about..the um..the future."

Leia moved over to the dining table and started stacking dishes.

"You seem disappointed General." Winter commented.

"Let's just say I wasn't expecting the evening to pan out in quite the way it did." Han said.

"You must agree it is a marvellous opportunity for her Highness." Winter continued.

"For both of us!" Han mumbled beneath his breath then said to Winter. "Opportunity? What opportunity?"

Winter looked between Leia and Han.

"Perhaps I should clear the dishes whilst you inform the General of your plans." Winter said to Leia.

Leia smoothed her dress again, even though it didn't need smoothing and retook the seat opposite Han.

"I leave in the morning for a six month tour of the Outer Rim territories." She said.

"Six months!" Han almost exploded.

"As Winter said, it's a marvellous opportunity." Leia explained.

"A marvellous opportunity to do what?" Han questioned.

"To do my job!" Leia answered angrily.

"I thought you were 'doing your job' in the Senate." He spat back at her.

"Winter, would you leave us?" Leia asked her friend.

Winter glanced first at Han then back at Leia, before nodding her head and taking what she could carry through to the kitchen area.

Leia took a breath before returning her attention to Han.

"If you're upset with me because you think I'm doing a good job in the Senate then that's fine. But if you're only upset with me because you think my going away will mess up your plans then I'm sorry, but you have no right!" She told him calmly.

"I just blew it with us, didn't I?" He said, equally calmly.

"You haven't 'blown' anything. Your timing's just a little off that's all." Leia replied.

Leia moved over to sit again beside Han. "It's only six months. And when I'm back, we'll have some time together. I promise."

"Yeah, right. Like you promised we'd find time to be together when you first came to Coruscant." He replied, pushing to his feet.

"Han, don't go. Not like this. We need to talk this through." She reasoned.

"You need to research your visits. I'll see you in six months. Maybe. If I'm not off on a mission of my own." With that he was gone.

Back to the Falcon to sulk probably Leia thought.

Truth was, Han knew what Leia was about when he got involved. He knew she wasn't about to change for him and he didn't want her to.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

TODAY.

Leia's hand had twitched. He'd felt it for himself. The med techs said it was likely to be localised electro static activity but to Han it was a sign she was recovering. Luke had told him it was important that he talk to her. He said she needed to know he was there for her and hearing him talk to her would be therapeutic.

Winter, naturally, found it easy.

As did Luke.

And of course Threepio managed to chatter away until Han wanted to slip into unconsciousness right alongside Leia.

But somehow Han found it difficult just to talk to her and not have her answer him back.

He cleared his throat anyway.

"Hey." He said. "So, how are you doing?...I mean, I know you're not doing so great. Doesn't take a genius to work that one out."

He sat back and released her hand.

"This is stupid! You can't hear me. You can't hear what I really want to say."

He leaned down, his face close to her ear.

"I want to tell you how sorry I am. And that you were right. As usual. I _was_ only upset with you for going away. It felt like I was on cloud city all over again, only this time it was you being taken away from me not the other way around."

Han scanned the medical bay. Nobody was paying him any attention, the med techs were at their benches tending to whatever it was med techs tended to and the med droids were similarly occupied.

"I never told you what it was like being frozen in carbonite. It was how I imagine you must feel right now. Unable to move. Unable to communicate. Catching the odd snatch of sound. It was the closest thing to being dead without actually being dead. There's just you and your thoughts. Wondering where you are? If you'll ever get out? If the people you care about are okay? If they'll still be alive if or when you finally do get out? People have been known to go insane inside carbonite, that's why they outlawed it's use on humans. Guess I was lucky. If it hadn't been for you and Chewie, Lando and the kid, I guess I'd still be hanging there on Jabba's wall. I don't think I ever told you how much it meant to me, knowing you came after me. Taking time away from the Rebellion to come save me. Me! Han Solo! So I'm telling you now Leia, just in case I don't get another chance. It meant _everything_ to me that you would do that. I owe you my life. I owe you..." He trailed off, not sure what more to add.

He was hers, heart and soul.

And in truth, she already knew that.

"General." Winter said from behind him. "Time to go."

Han hadn't been aware of her entering the medical bay and wasn't sure he cared much that she had heard his speech.

"Don't you people listen. I'm going nowhere." He growled, interlacing his fingers with Leia's and covering it with his other hand.

"Ordinarily General I'd understand. However, the medics need to check Her Highness' wounds and change her bacta dressings. I'm sure you appreciate they cannot do that with you sat by her side." Winter explained.

Reluctantly, Han released Leia's hand, rose and softly kissed her forehead. "Be back later sweetheart. Don't go anywhere."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

_YESTERDAY_.

"No!" Han answered her flatly.

"But, it's the perfect solution." Leia answered back.

"For you maybe. For me, I get to play nurse-maid for six months. So, thanks. But no thanks."

Han turned back to his beloved ship and checked a panel that needed no checking.

"I think I asked you to join my security team, not be my nanny!" Leia said.

"I know what you said and I know how you tried to make the job description _seem_ more appealing, but it amounts to the same thing. I'd spend six months walking three steps in front or two steps behind you. So I say again, thanks but no thanks."

"You are the most stubborn...cantankerous...obstinate..." Leia barked.

"Now, if you were to offer me say, Chief of Security, then I might be tempted." Han suggested.

"Chief of Security? How am I supposed to swing that?" Leia asked.

"Well I don't know Leia. Maybe it depends on how much you want me to tag along with you."

"I'm making no promises." Leia said, her eyes narrowed.

"I'll wait to hear from you." He said, grinning.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

TODAY.

The medics seemed to take longer every time they checked Leia over.

Sometimes he thought they took so long just so Winter could stand over him giving him her disapproving glare.

Sometimes he feared they took so long because that was how badly injured she was.

Mostly he believed they took so long because they were thorough and they were doing their very best for Leia.

It was just a pity he hadn't extended her the same courtesy!

He felt the overwhelming pang of guilt and rubbed his face with his hands as if doing so would take the feelings away.

"By the way. General Rieekan says he's still waiting for your report." Winter said.

"Haven't had time." Han answered.

"He thought you'd say that. He suggested that you make time." Winter responded.

"Look, what does he want from me, huh? It was my fault, okay!" Han barked, rising and starting to pace the corridor.

"He wants to know what happened. The sequence of events. It's standard procedure. I would have expected you to know that." Winter said.

"I never should have gone. It's as simple as that." Han said, shaking his head

"That's a start I suppose." Winter agreed. "What happened after you shouldn't have gone."

Han looked at her. Maybe it would help. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad telling someone else. Even if that someone was Winter.

It could have been worse, it could have been Luke asking him how it was he came to let Leia down so badly.

With a breath, he started. "Leia wanted to go to the market. She said she'd done all the meeting and greeting and hand-shaking and just wanted to get out and meet the people. There were no alerts, no reason to think she was in any danger so I stupidly agreed. I figured it might be good for her to just mingle. To hear what people were talking about, what made their world rock and what didn't. Like I said, there were no reports of suspicious activity. Nothing that gave any cause for concern. So, she changed into some tired-looking pant suit or something and I made her wear this cloak with a kind of snood thing so as to try and hide her identity a little. Not that it worked so well, I mean how do you disguise one of the most recognisable faces in the New Republic."

"How indeed?" Winter asked.

"Funny thing is, she seemed so comfortable. So at ease. The tension I'd felt from her all day just seem to melt away." He smiled at the memory. The first time in days his face had displayed any emotion other than concern. "She'd curled her hair at the ends where it hung outside the snood. She looked...beautiful. You know, ordinary but, oh so beautiful."

"You told her so?" Winter probed.

"There was this kid..." Han started.


	2. Chapter 2

_YESTERDAY_.

Despite it being late afternoon, the market was bustling with people. Traders held out trays of steaming meats for shoppers to sample. There were stalls displaying pots and pans, fresh produce, flowers, livestock, all manner of goods for the home and those with credits to buy them.

Leia stopped by a stall exhibiting a number of small, caged, rodent-like creatures who purred at Leia as she bent down to look at them.

"You like?" The stall-holder asked. "Make me an offer."

"No, thank you." Leia replied.

"They make good pets. Good around children." The man persisted.

"No, thank you. I have no children." Leia said.

"Ah, but one day my lady you will. They do not bite..." He continued, undaunted. "They have no teeth, see?"

He grabbed one of the creatures by it's tail and dragged it squealing from it's cage, clamped it beneath his arm and wrenched it's mouth open to reveal gums clearly scarred from having it's teeth pulled.

"Actually Sir, I don't approve of animals being caged. And I don't think it appropriate that they should be mutilated by having their teeth surgically removed!" Leia stated firmly.

"Come along dear." Han intervened, grasping Leia by both arms and steering her away. "Sorry, too much of the local fruit punch." He added, winking at the stall-holder.

"What do you think you are doing? Let me go!" Leia protested.

Han guided her well away from the rodents before releasing her.

"Will you pipe down, you're going get us both killed!" Han complained.

"I was trying to engage the man in conversation. How am I supposed to learn what people are really thinking if you don't let me talk to them?" She asked, hands on hips.

"Ask how business is. Ask how their day is going. Ask if they like the colour of the sky if you want, but don't accuse them of mistreatment." He told her.

"Those cages were far too small and did you actually look inside that creature's mouth? The poor thing had had it's teeth ripped out." She argued.

"I don't care if he skinned it alive in front of you then wrapped it around your shoulders to keep out the cold, you don't argue with him! We are _supposed_ to be keeping a low profile remember?"

"And arguing in the street is keeping a 'low profile' is it?" She glared.

Han straightened and furtively glanced around. A couple of people had stopped to watch them but mostly people were just going about their business.

"Sure. Just a little domestic between a husband and wife, happens all the time." He said.

Leia was already heading back into the market and made her way to a stand covered in glittering jewels. A large lady with big rosy cheeks greeted Leia with a wide, cheery smile.

"Lovely day." Leia said.

"It is indeed my lady." The woman replied. "Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Just looking." Leia replied.

"Something for yourself?" The woman asked, admiring Han as he approached the table. "A love token perhaps?"

"She's got love tokens, dozens of 'em!" Han answered for her, taking Leia by the hand.

"But no band I see." The woman persevered. "Such a shame. Such a beautiful hand should be adorned by a band."

"It's a little early for that. She hasn't even met my mother yet." Han replied.

"I have more jewellery than you see on display. I keep some pieces from view, reserved for very special clients." The woman pressed.

"Like the lady said, she was just looking." Han repeated.

"Diamonds from Alderaan." The woman said, stopping both Han and Leia in their tracks. "Very beautiful. And, of course, very rare now that Alderaan is no more. I can only imagine how such a beautiful jewel might look on such a beautiful hand." The woman's eyes darted between Han and Leia. "I could show you. What harm could it do, just to see how such a gem would look on such a hand."

"Thank you. "But we are not looking for diamonds today. Not from Alderaan or any other World for that matter." Leia insisted.

Leia turned and with Han holding her hand walked away from the booth. When they were a suitable distance Han asked if she was okay.

"Occasionally I forget that Alderaan isn't just over the horizon and that I'll be home in the morning. Then I meet a man selling wild animals as pets and a woman peddling the remnants of my home world for profit and I remember that I'll never see that perfect, peaceful place again." She mused.

"I'll buy you another world. A better one. Even more perfect and even more peaceful than Alderaan." Han said.

Leia laughed softly. "You think we'll find one on a stall here in the market?"

"Maybe. Who knows." He started walking again, his arm now around Leia's shoulders. "And when we find it, we'll live there and grow old there and tell our children all about our exploits."

"Sounds wonderful. Except for the children."

"Well, not right away obviously. I mean, we'll want some time to ourselves to start with." Han continued.

"No, I mean, there won't be any children. Not at all." Leia corrected.

"I don't understand. What do you mean, not at all?" Han asked.

Leia stopped walking and looked up at him. "Han, I can't have children. What I mean is, I don't _want_ to have children. Not ever."

Han's mouth moved up and down before he finally managed to say. "Oh. I...sorry...I just naturally assumed..."

"How could I? How could I, Leader in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, possibly have a child knowing that he or she might turn into the next Darth Vader?" She asked, her voice hushed.

"That's a pretty big assumption sweetheart on something that might never happen." He tried to reason.

"Well it's a chance I'm not willing to take." She told him.

Discussion clearly over.

Han watched her wander over to another stall, her hands clasped before her. It was a habit she had adopted during her earliest days as a Senator and one which Winter regularly reminded her sent out clear signals as to her identity.

Not that Han was thinking about how much she would have reminded him of Princess Leia even if he didn't already know it was her. He was thinking about how much he still didn't know about her, even after he thought he had known everything there was to know.

He hurried after her and tugged her arm.

"Hey, wait here a minute. I want to go get you something." He told her.

"What?" She asked.

"Wait and see. Just don't move, okay?"

Doubtfully, she agreed not to go wandering off, though made it clear that if he returned with a baby bonnet he probably wouldn't live long enough to regret it.

Han left her looking at a booth comprising all manner of household implements whilst he crossed the market to a stall showing various pieces of small jewellery items.

Shimmering, blue shell combs had caught his eye and he was sure Leia would find them as attractive as he did. Now all he had to do was haggle the seller down to what he knew he could pay.

After a little wrangling he managed to get the combs for the price he wanted to pay.

He heard Leia shriek and turned to see her sprawled on the ground, a boy maybe seven or eight but small for his age tangled in her cloak. Shoving the combs into his pocket, he headed back across the market to find Leia now on her knees. A huge man with an equally huge stick holding her in place, gripping her by her hair with one hand, the other raised above his head ready to strike.

"Unhand me you thug!" Leia spat.

"You heard the lady, unhand her you thug." Han repeated, his blaster pointed in the angry man's direction.

"She yours?" The man asked, tugging at Leia's hair to make her head bob.

"You got a problem with that?" Han responded, eyeing both Leia and the shocked boy she held at arms length from the man.

"You might want to get her a leash. And a muzzle too. The brat yours also?" The man asked, indicating the boy.

"What if he is? What's he done?" Han asked.

"That child is a thief. That makes you a thief." The man snarled.

"Whatever it is he took..." Han said, edging cautiously to his right. "There's no need for any violence."

"He stole my food. I work hard to bring produce to this market, I can't afford to let people like you just help yourselves." He shook Leia again by the hair. "Three strikes is the penalty for theft. Your whore said she would take the boys punishment. Three for the kid, five for her. You want to be a man and take a dozen for the two of them?"

Han wanted to shoot him where he stood, but a crowd was gathering and that was not how he wanted Leia's first visit to be remembered.

"You stop to think maybe the kid was hungry?" Han asked.

"You stop to think maybe I don't care?" The angry man shot back. "You people are no better than the Empire. You come here and think you can take whatever it is you want from hard working people like us." His voice was raised, obviously playing now to the assembling crowd.

"Take a look at her hands." Han said, reaching forward to grab the boy and pull him back behind him.

"What?" The angry man barked.

"Her hands. Take a look. Are they the hands of either a thief, or a whore?" Han said, holding onto the boy.

The man obviously wasn't about to trust Han and glanced quickly at the hand Leia held covering his grasping her hair so tightly. It was enough for him to want a closer look. Releasing Leia's hair, he grabbed her hand and held it before his face so as not to lose sight of Han and the blaster still pointed in his direction. Her hand was delicate, white, her nails neatly manicured. Clearly she was not a woman of the streets. The man's eyes left Leia's hand to look back at Han who had now lowered his blaster.

"Your kid still stole from me." The man said, lowering the arm holding the stick.

"I'll pay you for your loss." Han said, powering down his blaster and replacing it in it's holster.

The anger was starting to drain from the man as the crowd started to disperse.

Han pulled some coins from his pocket and threw them in the man's general direction.

"That's all I've got." Han said as the coins clattered to the ground.

The man barely heard him. He was scrambling in the dirt for the money.

Han helped Leia up and, still holding onto the child, got them as far from harms way as quickly as he could.

Once they were well out of the way, Han knelt down to look at the boy properly.

"So kid, what's your name?" He asked.

"Ana." The child answered tentatively.

"Ana? Isn't that..." Han studied the boy's face, seeing now his soft features, long delicate eyelashes, the cupids bow... "You're a girl?"

"You're funny!" The girl giggled.

Han rose and looked at Leia. "He's a girl." He said.

"I know." She replied.

Han sighed and hugged her, kissing her forehead. "You okay?"

"Head hurts a touch." She answered, a hand gently rubbing the top of her head.

He pulled her forward again and kissed the spot she was rubbing. "Better?" He asked, half smiling at her.

She smiled back and pulled her snood up over her head, flinching as it caught against her hair.

"Ana, you have somewhere you call home right?" Han asked.

"Don't everyone?" She said then looked up at Leia. "You live in a Palace."

"What was that sweetie?" Leia asked.

"You're the pretty lady from the stories and you live in a Palace" Ana answered.

"What stories honey?" Han asked.

"The one's about the Jedi." She told him.

Han arched an eyebrow at Leia. "Jedi huh? Who told you that sweetheart?"

"The man who gave me these." Ana held out a handful of shiny credits.

"What man?" Han asked, his blood running cold.

"That one." Ana pointed behind them.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

TODAY.

Han was now sat, his forearms resting on his knees, hands clasped prayer-like before him.

"This guy probably tailed us round the market and I never even noticed!" Han told Winter. "I saw the detonator in his hand, grabbed Leia and threw her down covering her with my body. She was down before the explosion, I know she was. Soon as I knew it was safe, I went after the guy. Told Leia to stay down. The guy was gone though. The kid too. When I got back and saw Leia still face down I figured for once she'd actually listened to me. I told her it was okay to get up. When she didn't move I rolled her over and that was when I saw the blood. Masses of it, soaking into the dirt and covering her body." He sat back and looked up directly at Winter. "The guy tossed a dud. It was the kid who threw the live detonator. And it was me who pushed Leia right down on top of it."

"Her injuries are being treated and she's showing signs of recovery. We were fortunate the device was only small, however, if the detonator had gone off in front of her she could be dead right now, probably you and a dozen or so others too." Winter said trying to encourage him.

Han gave her a wry smile. "Don't you think I know that? But if I had just been doing my job properly I would have seen that guy stalking us. I could have stopped him and his little compatriot from hurting anyone. If I had just been thinking instead of flirting..."

Winter sat beside him and to his great surprise slipped her hand into his.

"Her Highness will recover. It may take a little while, but she will get through this. You both will. This is not her destiny." Winter told Han.

"That's the second time you've hinted about her 'destiny'. You seem to think you know quite a lot about the subject." He said sceptically.

"You seem to think you know quite a lot about the desires of her heart." Winter said flatly.

"Not the same thing and you know it!" Han argued.

"I watched her grow up. I saw her develop from a beautiful, inquisitive child into a beautiful, strong, confident woman. I think my years as her aide have given me far greater insight into her psyche than the past couple of years fighting in the Rebellion with you." She countered. "You are an obstinate freckle on her countenance!"

"I'm a what? What's that supposed to mean?" Han asked, confused.

"You drag her down. With you, she is no longer Princess Leia Organa, Leader in the fight against the Empire. She's just some poor young woman infatuated with an older, lesser man!" Winter finished.

"You're jealous!" Han concluded.

"I? Jealous of you?" Winter queried.

"You're frightened I'm going to take your little playmate away from you. And as for her destiny, if Luke can't tell what her future holds then I'm pretty sure you can't either."

Han rose and started pacing again.

"And why are they taking so long?" He asked angrily just as the door hissed open and a medic advised he could return if he wanted.

Without hesitation Han headed back into the medical centre. A medical droid was in his way and it wasn't until it moved that Han saw Leia's eyes were open. Half open at least.

"Hey there sleepy-head." He cooed, flying into the seat beside her cot. "We'd just about given up on you waking up at all."

"Wha...? What happened?" She stammered.

"Don't you worry about that now, you just concentrate on getting better." He advised.

"I think I was dreaming." She said, struggling to stay awake. "I had a daughter, I think. But she was like you."

"Like me?" Han said, gently kissing her forehead. "Handsome and rakish?"

"It's all a bit of a blur. My head feels a bit fuzzy. What did you say happened?" She queried.

"Shhhh." Han soothed. "We'll talk when you're stronger."

Leia closed her eyes, a slight smile on her lips. Han leaned forward and softly, almost imperceptibly, kissed her.

"She's okay Winter. She's going to be okay." He said.

"I know." Winter answered. "Her destiny, remember?"

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The following day Han was shocked to discover Leia sitting up in bed and looking surprisingly alert. Stood beside her was Luke, Winter and General Rieekan, and Chewbacca trailed behind Han howling a greeting as he entered the medical centre.

"Hey, keep it down. There's sick people in here." Han complained.

"You looking after him for me Chewie?" Leia asked, still sounding a little groggy.

Chewie yowled back his answer. Han shot a querying look first at Chewbacca then at Leia, both of whom smiled knowingly and neither of whom were looking back at him.

"Got your report Solo. Finally. It seems we may be underestimating the degree of tenacity opponents of the New Republic are prepared to show." Rieekan said before turning his attention back to Leia. "It's good to see you're recovering Princess. We'll talk more when you're fully recovered."

Rieekan nodded to all and left for the command centre.

"Report?" Han said, turning to Winter. "Now, how do you think he got that when I haven't even written it yet?"

"I know how much difficulty you have with big words so submitted it for you." Winter answered honestly. "I left out the parts I thought might cause embarrassment or upset to Her Highness, of course."

"I bet you did!" Han said accusingly.

"Suffice to say, the Generals are of the opinion that without your quick thinking we would now be attending a wake in honour of Her Highness and not standing here at her bedside." Winter smiled, adding. "No need to thank me."

"What are you two whispering about?" Leia asked.

"I was suggesting the General might want to bathe and change his clothes since we are in a sterile facility." Winter said, wrinkling her nose.

Leia held out her hand to Han and motioned for him to come closer.

Luke sensed now would be an appropriate time to make his exit and with a loving kiss to his sister's cheek made his excuses and left, taking Chewbacca with him.

"Is there somewhere you should be Winter?" Leia asked.

"I'm already there Your Highness." Winter replied.

"Then, is there somewhere _else_ you should be Winter?" Leia asked pointedly.

"My place is at your side." Winter persisted. "However, I can see you would rather I leave so I will return to our quarters and make preparations for your homecoming."

Han watched Winter leave before saying. "You know, I could go back to that market and buy a whip. Maybe I could try and tame her."

Her light laugh was a relief to him.

He looked down, finding it difficult to meet her eyes. Leia studied him a moment, before tilting his face toward hers.

"I've never known you show so much regret for your actions before." She said.

"My actions never came so close to getting you killed before." He said ruefully.

Leia knew there was nothing she could say that would brighten his mood. This was something Han had to work through as only Han knew how. Instead she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Han looked back at her, again seeing her in a different light.

"You need your rest. I'll be back later." He said and left.

Leia assumed he would make his way to the Falcon and tinker with the ship until he no longer felt guilty over the incident in the market. But she was wrong.

Han instead made his way to Leia's quarters to be greeted by a surprised Winter.

"May I come in?" Han asked.

Winter moved aside and allowed him access. He circled the room before Winter finally asked what it was he wanted.

"I get it now." He said.

"I'm very pleased for you. What is it that you think you now get?" Winter asked.

"What you've been trying to tell me. About Leia. About her destiny. About me. I understand now." He said.

"You understand what exactly?" She asked.

"That I can't be her lover and her protector. It just doesn't work that way." He told her.

Winter smiled. "You do indeed understand. I'm sorry though."

"Yeah, right. You've been against us from the start." He commented.

"Actually General, I think you have a number of very fine qualities. And if Leia was any other woman, you would be an excellent suitor. But she isn't any other woman. She is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. Leader of the Rebel Alliance. Senator in the New Republic. And the man on her arm must be utterly unimpeachable." Winter insisted.

"I know. Like I said, I get it now. You know, you could have just told me that from the start." He noted.

"Would you have believed me? Or would you just have thought of me as a vicious spinster afraid to part with her friend? What should I tell Her Highness?" She asked.

"Tell her nothing. They're looking for volunteers to help with the evacuation of refugees from Talgos IV. I'm going to volunteer. I'll be gone...who knows...five, six months. Maybe more. By the time I get back, she'll have forgotten all about me." He said.

"I think General, you underestimate your impact on Her Highness. I'll say you felt it would be an appropriate reparation for your failure at the market." She declared.

"Tell her what you like Winter, I don't really care. Just...just don't hurt her, okay?" He begged.

"You have my word." She promised.

"And..." Han pulled the combs he had bought at the market from his pocket. "Would you give her these from me? Call them a parting gift."

Winter nodded and watched Han Solo leave the apartments.

His heart was in the right place, Winter couldn't deny him that. Though she doubted a few months would be anywhere near enough for Leia to forget all about him.

In fact, she doubted any amount of time would be sufficient for Leia to forget all about him.

And knowing that made her wonder if perhaps it was _she_ who needed to reassess the situation and not Han Solo after all.

_Will Han return? Of course he will._

_Will Leia have moved on? You'll just have to wait and see..._


End file.
